WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vitamin D may protect against an
artery disease in which fatty deposits restrict blood flow to
the limbs, researchers said on Wednesday.

Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of
Yeshiva University in New York found that people with low
levels of vitamin D in their blood experience an increased risk
for a condition known as peripheral artery disease, or PAD.

PAD most often reduces blood flow to the legs, causing pain
and numbness, impairing the ability to walk and in some cases
leading to amputation. It develops when fatty deposits
accumulate in the inner linings of artery walls, cutting blood
flow and oxygen to the legs, feet, arms and elsewhere.

ADVERTISEMENT

The researchers based the findings on a U.S. government
health survey involving 4,839 adults who had their blood
vitamin D levels measured and underwent a screening method for
PAD that assesses blood flow to the legs.

The people in the lowest 25 percent of vitamin D levels
were 80 percent more likely to have PAD than those in the
highest 25 percent, the researchers said.

"Participants in the survey who had the lowest vitamin D
levels had a much higher prevalence of peripheral artery
disease," Dr. Michal Melamed of Albert Einstein College of
Medicine, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.

But Melamed said it would be premature for people to start
taking vitamin D supplements because more studies are needed to
confirm that it is protective.

Melamed noted that other vitamins that had been thought to
possibly help prevent cardiovascular disease such as vitamin E
did not pan out after further research.

The study was presented at an American Heart Association
meeting in Atlanta and was published in the association's
journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is considered
important for bone health. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can
lead to osteoporosis, and it can lead to rickets in children.

Some studies have indicated it might provide other
benefits. For example, one published in January found that
people with low vitamin D levels had an elevated risk for heart
attack, heart failure and stroke, suggesting the vitamin may
protect against cardiovascular disease.

The body makes vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight.
It is found in fatty fish such as salmon. Milk commonly is
fortified with it.

People with PAD have a four to five times greater risk of
heart attack or stroke, according to the American Heart
Association. The group said 8 million Americans have PAD.